Francis William Bird Park - Walpole, MA


We spent a lovely afternoon at Francis William Bird Park in Walpole, MA today.  Bird Park is owned and operated by The Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit whose mission is to protect places of ecological, scenic, and historic importance in Massachusetts, and is supported by the Friends of Bird Park.  There is no cost to visit.

The park was originally created nearly 100 years ago as a respite for industrial workers, and it offers a nice mix of wooded trails and paved/smooth paths through open fields.  There is also a small, scenic pond fed by a babbling brook.  A property map is available here.  The main parking lot is on Polley Lane, but we prefer the smaller lot on Pleasant Street because of its proximity to the playground - a perfect size for young visitors.  

Today, we started off with a round of Winter Nature Bingo by taking a walk in the wooded area, then looping north toward the pond, and then ending in the open fields by the Music Court.  Our route was about a mile.  The trails were expectedly snowy, but entirely passable with snow boots.  We did see a few other visitors with snowshoes. 

After our hike, we grabbed our sleds and tried them out on the hills overlooking the fields.  Lots of fun.  Then we ended our visit with some time on the playground.  There are separate areas designed for kids ages 2-5, and then 6+.  Adjacent to the playground is a paved, open court with tricycles and toy cars for kids to drive.  That area was too snowy to use today, but my kids love it in warmer weather.

It was a great winter visit, and we look forward to more trips to Bird Park later this year.

PS - there used to be an annual, fundraiser trail race at Bird Park.  My husband Scott ran the most recent one, and he won!













If you zoom in, you may be able to see the Peregrine Falcon up in the tree!























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